Summary
Lonely people’s neural responses differ from their less lonely peers, suggesting lonely people may see the world differently from those around them, even if they have a large social network, and this may contribute to feeling lonely.
Source: APS
Common wisdom suggests that a core difference between solitude and loneliness is choice. Whereas a person who appreciates solitude might choose to enjoy a quiet night in or a solo trip abroad, a lonely person may feel disconnected from other people even in a crowded room.
Research to be published in Psychological Science supports this notion, suggesting that lonely people may think differently regardless of the size of their social networks.
Lead author Elisa C. Baek’s study showed that lonely individuals’ neural responses differ from those of other people, suggesting that “seeing the world differently than those around you may be a risk factor for loneliness, even if you regularly socialize with them.”
The researchers came to this conclusion by comparing the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans of 63 first-year university students. During each 90-minute scan, participants viewed 14 engaging video clips in the same order. After the scan, they self-reported their feelings of social connection using the UCLA Loneliness Scale.
When the researchers compared these participants’ scans, they found that the brain activity of lonely participants was very dissimilar to that of both nonlonely participants and other lonely participants. By comparison, the brain activity of nonlonely participants was similar to that of other nonlonely participants, especially in the default-mode network and in the reward-processing areas of the brain.
These findings remained significant even when the researchers controlled for demographic characteristics and the size of participants’ social networks.
“Lonely people process the world idiosyncratically, which may contribute to the reduced sense of being understood that often accompanies loneliness,” the researchers explained.
Additional research is needed in order to determine the underlying cause of these results. Learning more about how lonely people think, and how to promote shared understanding, could help identify new pathways for reducing loneliness.
Personal Opinion
As a psychiatrist, these findings highlight the importance of understanding the unique neural differences and thought processes of lonely individuals. By recognizing these differences, mental health professionals can better tailor interventions to help promote shared understanding and ultimately reduce feelings of loneliness in our patients.
Dr Theodore James Wilson, MD, Cure of Mind